Failure to sufficiently pre-heat houses and floors prior to bird placement is one of the most common mistakes producers can make. A 48-hour pre-heat (longer for deeper litter packs) is necessary to effectively raise the core litter temperature to create a better ammonia purge and moisture evaporation–setting the stage for optimal performance.
The goal is to raise the core litter temperature; ambient temperature can be lower. Therefore, target temperature may need to be higher during pre-heating based on litter moisture, depth, microbial challenge, ammonia load, and management. It can then be reduced at placement for bird comfort.